Young woman goes after the mob boss who killed her mother.

He agreed.

We stood there, watching football practice. The young men we had this year were tough as nails. Lots of them were black or Hispanic. As a Division Three College, Mason didn't offer athletic scholarships. The young men and women who played for our sports teams did so because they loved it. They were also bright students. Academically, Mason College was a tough institution. Very hard to get into. Coach Ripley and I watched football practice. Tyrone was pretty good out there. Of course, almost anyone can shine one day and suck the next. Coach decided to give him a chance. Now, I am the athletic director, but I never interfere between a coach and his or her players. That's bad judgment. Let the people do their job. A few days later, an excited Tyrone showed up in my office. He made it on the football team! In his overly excited state, he hugged me, then apologized. I smiled, and shook my head. I wished him the best of luck. It's always a good thing to see young people's dreams come true.

As the football program geared itself for a tough season, I looked after things. I made sure every team got adequate funding for trips and games. I personally encouraged the young athletes ( of all sports) when they got on the bus to go off and play against some other team. Sometimes, they won. Other times, they lost. Rain or shine, I was there for them. I weathered many crises. Women's Rugby team captain Eileen Thomas got pregnant by her boyfriend, basketball player Jamal Gray during their senior year. Eileen came to my office with Jamal, crying. Apparently, she had been kicked out by her intolerant parents, first for getting knocked up and second, for being with a black man. Likewise, Jamal wasn't getting much support from his folks either. I remembered Jamal well. The tall, good-looking black man who showed up at basketball practice every day on time and shone like one of the best. He was a cool guy, and many of the younger players looked up to him. What was I to do? I couldn't simply turn them away. I mean, these kids looked up to me. And I was like a parent to them. They had nowhere to go. I lived in a big house by myself, so I let them stay the night. I told them they'd be welcome to stay as long as they needed. That was mighty generous of me, but not prudent. You have to understand that in collegiate America, certain things aren't done. Even the appearance of impropriety between a student and a faculty member could cost said faculty member their job. I was risking my job and retirement plan by letting them stay at my place. But I couldn't just throw them out.

Life went on. Jamal and Eileen remained at my place for a week, then found low-rent housing and moved in together. I was happy for them and kind of relieved. If anyone from the college administration found out, I'd be out of a job. I returned to work as if nothing had happened. Watching the sports teams compete was a major source of joy in my life. Over the past year, both the men's and women's basketball teams have produced NBA and WNBA players. How about that? The football team had yet to produce an NFL player but I didn't care. Watching them play was good enough for me. Tyrone was a powerful presence on the gridiron. He was the best lineman I'd ever seen. Strong, fast, sharp and resilient. He seemed to be everywhere at once. I loved watching him work. I showed up at every game. He was always glad to see me. I always encouraged him. Encouraging young people, especially at-risk young men, should be a priority for all educators. And as Athletic Director, I am an educator, first and foremost.

When I would ask him how things were going at home, Tyrone would get sad.